Method of and machine for making nut-blanks



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. S. BABBITT.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING NUT BLANKS. No. 376,224. Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

3 Shets-Shet 2.

S. BABBITT.

Patented Jan. 10, 1888.-

(No Model.)

METHOD OF 'AND MACHINE FOR MAKING NUT BL NKS.. Non

iIIh-I =5...

3 Sheets-Sheet. v

Patented. Jan. 10, 1 888.

, fig

S. S; BABBITT.

0D 0f AND MACHINE FOR MAKING NUT'B LANKS,

(No Model.) A

UNiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SEWARD S. BABBITT, OF UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN B. SKINNER', OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTy-BLANKS.

EPBCIEICATION'iorming part of Letters Patent No. 376,224, dated January 10, 1858.

Applicati n filed February 28, 1837. Renewed December 12, 1887. Serial No. 257,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEWARD S. BABBITT, of Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Method of and Machine for Making Nut-Blanks and Similar Articles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this'specitlcation.

This invention relates to a novel process of and machine for making metal nut-blanks and similar articles.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The process constituting my invention comprises as its main features the steps of first forming upon the end of a rod or bar an enlargement or head of the exterior size, .and shape of the nut-blank or similar article, and then punching or forcing out the metal from the middle part of the said enlargement or head, so asto form a hole or aperturetherein. In making a nutblank in this manner the metal punched out of or removed for forming the hole will be left upon the bar or rod from which the nutblank is made, sothat the metal thus punched out will remain integral with the rod and can be utilized in making another nut-blank in the same manner. The enlargement or head upon the bar will commonly, when working in iron or other metals of little ductility, be swaged or upset when the metal is heated to a degree common in metal forging. In the construction of nut blanks in this manner it is, entirely obvious that all of the metal of the rod is made into nut-blanks without waste, or, in other Words, that after each nut-blank is formed from the metal at the end of the 'bar said bar willbe in condition for use in making another and succeeding nut-blanks, and that no small pieces, scraps, or waste will be produced, but that all the metal of the bar will be utilized with the exception of the stub end, which in the use of amachine such as is herein shown will remain from each bar employed. 5Q

punched out from square blanksin forming holes therein equals approximately twentyfive per cent. of the material used. ing hexagonal nutblanks the portions punched out from the holes and the parts removed to give shape to the sides of the nut equal in all about forty per cent. of the material used. The small pieces or scrap thus made can only be utilized after being reworked, and are therefore much less valuable than merchantable iron, so that the waste by the making of this quantity of waste or scrap causes a great loss to the manufacturer. market-rates at present the waste or scrap produced in nut-making is valued at about one-half the cost of mcrchantable iron. The novel process above described, therefore, has the great economic advantage of saving the reworking of alarge proportion of the iron used and of thus avoiding an important item of loss to the manufacturer.

In carrying out the process or method above described any well-known or preferred tools or machines may be usedas, for instance, the enlargement or head may be formed upon a rod or bar by a machine similar to the wellknown machines for forming bolt-heads, and containing gripping-jaws for holding the rod or bar and a reciprocating die moving toward and from thejaws and operating to upset the end of the metal rod held in the jaws to form ahead thereon. Similarly the punching out of the central part of the head thus formed may be accomplished by any well-known form of punchingmachine. It is entirely obvious, moreover, that the process or method described can be carried out by the use of hand tools or implements, as well as by machines driven by power.

The machine herein illustrated as constituting part of my invention is constructed for the purpose of rapidly and economically performing the heading and punching process, as above set forth. Such machine embraces as its main feature of novelty a clamp or clamping jaws for holding the metal rod from which the nut-blanks are to be formed, areciprocating heading-die acting in connection with the clamping-jaws to form a head upon the rod, and a punch working through a central aperture in the die and operating to punch out the In male According to the usual ICO central part of the head after the' head has been formed upon the rod, the parts being so constructed that the rod may yield or move backwardly through the clamp-jaws as the metal is forced from the central part of the head in the advance of the punch.

The machine illustrated embraces devices for actuating the several parts described, means for cooling the die and punch, and other details of construction, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, taken through the parts inr mediatelyconcernedin making the nut-blanks upon line m of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail section of the clamp-jaws, taken upon line 00 0c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken upon line 3 y of Fig. 1, showing the heading-die in front elevation. Fig. 5 is a detail section through the sliding block carrying the heading-die, taken upon line .2 z of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken upon line as :0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail section taken upon line y yof Fig. 1. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detail sections ofthe die and punch, illustrating the operation offorming the nut-blanks. Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a modified form of the clampjaws.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Aisahorizontal bed-plate, upon which the several operative parts of the machine are mounted or sustained, and B B are gytwo gripping-dies or clamping-jaws located at one end of said bed, one of said jaws being stationary and the other movable.

C is a heading-die mounted in one end of a horizontally-sliding bed or carriage, D, having bearings at its side margins in guides A A upon the bed-plate.

E is a punch mounted to slide in a central uperture, c, of the die C and rigidly attached to a sliding bar, E, mounted within the earriage D and extending past the rear end of the said carriage.

F is a horizontal drivingshaft mounted in bearings ff upon the bed A, and provided with two cams,G,for actuating the sliding bed or carriage D, a cam, H, for actuating the punch, and a cam, I, for actuating the movablejaw B of the clamping device. The said jaw Bis attached to a sliding block, J, mounted to slide in stationary guides A A", arranged transversely upon the bed. The devices connecting said block J with the cam I for actuating said block comprise a wedge, K, constructed to bear against a stationary projection, K, upon the bed-plate,the wedge being,

as shown, provided with lateral ribs k if, err

tering guide-grooves in the block J and projection K. The wedge K is connected by means of a rod, K", with a sliding block, K", which carries an anti-friction roller, K, upon which the cam I operates. The said block is constructed to slide in aguideapertu re formed in a standard, A, upon the bed A. The carcontact with the cams by means of springs D I D, attached, as shown, to projections d (1 upon the block D and to arms (P, boltedto the guides A A of the frame.

The sliding bar E, carrying the punch, is preferably provided with an anti-friction roller, 0, bearing against the cam H, said bar being thrown toward the cam by means of a heavy spiral spring, E, placed about said bar between a shoulder. c, at the end of the bar and the adjacent end surface of the block I).

The sliding block J, carrying the clamp jaw B, is moved in a direction to open the jaw and to retain it in contact with the sliding wedge K by means of springs J, attached to lugs or projections jj' upon the said plate J and projection K, respectively, and the roller K, through the medium of which motion is transmitted to the wedge K, is held in engagementwith the cam l by means of spiral springs K K, attached to lugs It It upon the said wedge K and the part A of the machine frame.

The clamp jaws B B are provided each with a separate recess, 1), Fig. 3, of the proper site and form to lit the rod or bar from which the nuts are to be made-in theinstanceillustrated ot" semicircular form. Said rod or bar is indicated in the drawings by the letter R.

In the particular constructionof the clamping-jaws shown the stationary jaw B is made separate from the machine-frameand is secured in an opening or recess formed in an elevated part, A, of the bed-plate. A. The movable jaw'l3 is similarly made separate from and fitted to a recess in the sliding block J, saidjaws B B being made removable, to enable them to be replaced when worn out, or to allow other jaws to be inserted in working upon rods of different sizes.

In the particular construction illustrated the die C is attached to the sliding block or can riage D by being inserted in a recess, D", formed at the forward end of said block, the die being held immovably in place by means of wedges G C, inserted at the top and bottom of the die between outwardly-extending flanges c 0 upon the die and inwardly-pro jecting lips or flanges d d of the biOt'k, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2.

For the purpose of keeping the said die C cool, the latter is preferably chambered and means provided for maintaining a constant llow of water thercthrough. As shown in the drawings, a recess, D, iscast in the body of the block D, extending to the flat face of the recess D of said block, and a recess, 0", is made in the die extending around the recess of the die and opening at the rear or inner face of the latter, the recesses D and C being so arranged that when the die is secured in place in the block D the openings of said recesses will come together and said recesses will form a continuous space or chamber, through Ilf.

which water may be circulated. l W'ater may be supplied to the water-chamberdescribed in any suitable manner, flexible pipes D" D being herein shown as connected ivith the top and bottom of the block oommui icating with the chamber D for this purposd. The flexible pipe 1'') is, in the particular Lconstruction shown, attached to a rigid horizor tal pipe, 1)", extending to a point at the rear and at oneside of the block D through the space )etween said block and the bedplate A'; bu these pipes may be otherwise arranged in practice, as may be found convenient-pr desirable;v

In the particular ednst-iuction'lierein shown the sliding bar E, carrying the punch E, is made cylindric and adapted to slide in a cylindric aperture, 1), ot' the block D, and said punch E is made separate from said bar E and attached to the latter by ascrew-threaded connection, as cl arly shown in Fig. 2. To provide means for cooling the said punch by a circulation of water, said punch is made tubular or hollow to a point near its forward or working end, and the sliding bar E is provided with a recess, 0, communicating with the hollow interior of the punch. At the inner end of the said recess a is secured a small tube, c, which extends through the hollow interiorol' the punch to a pointnear the forward end of the recess therein. Said tube c"is connected at its inner or rear end with avcrtical pipe, E", which is tapped into the slide-bar E and extends outwardly throughalongitudinal slot, d, in the block I). A second pipe, E, is also tapped into the sliding bar E, so as to communicate with the recess 1;, said pipe passing through a second slot, d", in the block D.

To the outer ends of the pipes E" E are at.- taehed liexibleinlet and exit. water-tubes 1C 19,

by means of which a continuous circulation of water through the central recess of the punch may be maintained.

The operation of the clamp-jaws, the die,

, and the punch in making a nutis more clearly illustrated in the sectional detail views, Figs. 7, 8, and 9. The rod, which is commonly operated on when heated sufficiently hot for forging, is thrust between the gripping-jaws B B until its end comes in contact with the inner face of the die 0, which die is moved backwardly a suiiioient distance at each reeiprocation to enable the rod to be thrust through the clamp jaws adistance necessary to afford suffrcicnt metal in the projecting part to fill the die. \Vhen the rod has been placed in the position described, the clamp-jaw B is aetual ed to grip the rod and the die then advanced into contact with the grip ingjaws, the parts at this time being in the position shown in Fig. 8. In this advance movement of the die the plunger is moved at the same rate of speed therewith, so that the end of the punch forms a part of the inner wall of the die at such 3 time. After the head has been formed upon the rod in the manner described, the punch is advanced unt il it has passsed through the head,

thereby punching out the central part of th head and l'orcing 'baek the rod with the pieci of metal punched out thereon, the gripping dies being separated or opened slightly at thi: time to allow thelrod to move bacluvardly a: the punch is advanced. I havehercin show] the punch as made with a square or 'Ilat cut face; but other forms of punches may be used as may be desired or preferred.

The rod or bar used for makingthe nut-blank: will commonly be round and ot approximateb the same diameter as the punch by which tln hole is formed in the nut-blank. I prei'er,how ever, to make the recesses I) b of the clamping dies ol'such sizeas to form, when closcd,an aper ture slightly largcrin diameter (say one thirty second olan lllUllD than the punch, so thattln punch will pass i'rcely into the opening of tln clamping-jaws, which latter serve as a die block t'orthe punch in the punching operation \Vhen the said opening of the clampingjaw: is made larger than the punch, moreover, t' blank-rod larger than the punch is used,in or der that the rod may be firmly clamped by tht ciampjuws. The use of a blank-rod larger than the punch is of advantage, inasmuch as the larger the bar the more easily may tht head be upset thereon.

it is not necessary to the operation of tlu forming devices described, however, that tin rod or bar from which the nut-blank is l'ormei should be approximately of the same diameter as the punch-as, for instance, said bar may be materially larger than the punch and th( clamp-jaws made of proper size to grip sucl bar, provided the opening of the clamp in it: part. adjacent to the heading-die be contractor to form an opening only slightly larger that the punch. A construction ol' this kind it shown in Figs. Hand 12, in which the clamp jaws l3 and l5 are provided with lips or pro jections I) b, which operate to cut into or compress the metal of the bar at the faces of the clamp-jaws against which the headi ng-die acts, and which form, when the clamp -jaws art brought. together, an opening of proper sizt to admit the end of the punch. \Vhen thi: construction is used,the part. or plug punched out of the head will be of less diameter than the blank-rod, so that the said rod will, after each nut-blank is formed, have a small cylind r'ic projection at its end, and will present the appearance shown in Fig. 12. Such projec tion will, however, be compressed or upset into the larger part of the rod in making tht next succeeding nut-blank theret'rom.

For the purpose of producing the several motions in the elampingjaws, the headingdie, and the punch in the manner described, the cams Li, ll, and l, by which motion is given to thesaid parts,are, in the particular maeitint illustrated,made as follows:

To describe, lirst, the cams (l (1, (ol' which two are used to give equa pressure on in th sides of the block 1),) each of said cams. as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, is made as l'ol lows:

g is a concentric part ofthe cam upon which the roller (1 acts during the time that the clampjaws are being opened and closed. g'is an outer concentric part upon which the said rollers travel during the time the die is advanced and while the punch is being operated.

g is an inclined surface connecting the part (1 with the part g aml acting to throw the headingdie forward to form the head upon the rod, and g is an inclined part acting to allow the retraction of the die after the head has been formed and punched.

The cam II has an inner concentric part, h, corresponding in angular position with the part 1 of the cam G and with an outwardlydirected inclined part, h, parallel with the part 5 of the cam G, and acting to advance the punch at the same time that and at the same speed as the die is advanced by the said surface 9''.

It is an ontwardly-detlected surface forming an extension of thesurface h and acting to advance the punch during the time that the die is held forward by the'surface h h is a similarly-inclined surface allowing the backward movement of the. punch, said su rface beingprefcrably arranged to terminate in radial alignment with the end of the surface g, so that the punch will be fully rctracted before the die begins to move back wardly.

It! is a surface connecting the part It with the part It and arranged parallel with the surface y ot'the cam G, so that after the punch is returned to its normal position with relation to the die both the (lie and punch will move backward together.

The cam I (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 5) is provided with an outer concentric part, 2', coinciding in angular position with the parts It and g of the cams It and (1, and operating to hold the gripping-jaws closed at the time the die and punch are being advanced together.

i is a short inwardly-defleeted surface for relaxing the gripping-jaws before the punch begins its advance movement, said surface terminating in a second concentric part, i, by which thejaws are held stationary,but slightly apart, during the time the punch is being advanced.

To prevent the punch being moved forward before the jaws are relaxed by the action of the inclined surface '1, the cam II is provided with a short concentric part, h, arranged to coincide in angular position with the said inclined part i, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, said concentric part h being arranged between the inclined cam-faccshh, before described. At the end of the cam surface i and in position to retract the movable clampjaw after the punch has begun its rearward movement, is a cam-surface, i, which extends inwardly to a short concentric part, i which allows the (-rmping'jaws to remain fully open while the g heated rod is being inserted between them.

Between the surface i and the concentric. part ifirst above described is an outwardly-inclined surface, 1', by which the clamp-jaw is quickly advanced to grip the rod in time for the operation of the die and punch thereon in the manner before described.

In square and other nut-blanks as heretofore made the sides of the blanks are commonly distorted and roughened in shearing, and the nut bent more or less out of shape in punching. Nutblanks and other articles made by the machine above described have the advantage of being alike and equally smooth on all sides and of being undistorted by punching, inasmuch as the punching is done when the blank is surrounded on all sides by the forming-dies, so that the metal is not drawn out of shape in the punching operation.

The main feat tire of novelty embraced in the machine above described consists in gripping or clamping dies or jaws for holding the rod, a reciprocating heading-die. and a punch const ructed t0 slid: in ur through the headingdie, so that the head may be formed and the hole punched therein in what is practically one operation. It is obviously immaterial as far as the general operation of these parts is concerned. as to which of said parts are mitdt movable. and which stationary, as to whether both clampyiaws are movable or one only, and as to what part icular form of the many wellknown kinds of driving or actuz'tting devices are employed for moving the clamping jaws, die, and punch. I. desire, therefore, to claim, broadly, a machine embracing the parts re ferred to without restriction to the particular means shown for actuating said parts. I do, however, herein claim as new certain novel details of construction present in the machine, shown, but which are not necessary for the carrying out of the invention herein broadly claimed.

it will of course be understood that in carrying out the process above set forth and in the use of the machine described, the recess of the die for u settin .1 e .od maybe square, hexagonal, circular, or other form which it is desired to give the exterior surface of the article produced.

The punch used, also, may be square, hexagonal, or other shape, to give an aperture of desired form in the article made, and the rod or bar from which the article is made may be cylindric, square, or of other cross-sectional shape. in the use of a round punch with a square rod in a machine of the character shown,however, the opening of the clamp-jaws adjacent to the forming devices will desirably be made to correspond with the shape of the punch, and this is also desirable whenever the rod diifers from the punch in cross-sectional form. The said opening of the clamp-jaws may be given the desired shape for the purpose above stated by contracting its size at the inner faces of the clamp-jaws in the manner illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12.

I do not wish to restrict myself to a process and machine for making metal articles having flat exterior faces and commonly called ,nutblanks, inasmuch as other metal articles having central apertures or perforations-such as the nut-blank, or that the nut-blank or other object may be first shaped in the rough by the formingdies and afterward given final form and finish. For use in making ordinary nutblanks requiring no after finishing, however, the use of this process is of great advantage, inasmuch as the surface of the nut is thereby accurately formed with a smooth surface without waste.

I claim as my invention- 1. The method of makingnut-blanlis or similar articles, which consists in compressing or upsetting the end of a rod or bar to form an enlargement or head thereon and then punching out the metal from the central part of the enlargement or head thus made.

2. A machine for making nut-blanks and similar articles, comprising clamping-jaws or dies for holding a rod or bar, an apertured heading-die, and a punch working through the said heading-die, substantially as described.

3. The combination of clamping jaws, an

apertnred heading-die, a sliding carriage or block carrying said die, a reciprocating punch having sliding support in said carriages and lar metal articles, comprising clamping-jaws, an apertured heading-die, a sliding block or carriage carrying the heading-die, a punch working through the aperture of the die, a

sliding support for the punch mounted in said block or carriage, a driving-shaft provided with cams acting upon said carriage and upon the punch-support, and means actuating the clamping-jaws, substantially as described.

5. A machine for the purpose described, comprising stationary and movable clampjaws, an apertured heading-die, a sliding block or carriage carrying said heading-die, a punch working through the aperture of the heading.

die, a support for the punch sliding in said carriage, a sliding plate supporting the movable clamp-jaw, a wedge acting upon said sliding plate, and a shaft carrying cams for actuating said wedge, heading-die, and punch, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the die 0 and carriage D, of recesses D and O" in said carriage and die, forming a water-chamber, and water supply and exit pipes connected to said chamber, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the die 0, carriage D, punch E, and bar E,supporting said punch, said punch being recessed, of water inlet and exit pipes connected with the recess of the punch, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SEWARD S. BABBITT.

Witnesses:

M. H. BOWMAN, G. H. SEATON. 

